Dear fellow parents: Now that we've made it through planning spring break, we can turn our attention to summer vacation. One option to consider—since it will offer particular value for your dollar this summer—is a family cruise. That's because there's a serious oversupply of cabins available on a ton of cruises that depart from U.S. ports—which means you can drive to the embarkation port rather than having to buy airline tickets for everyone in the family! These cruises sail to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and New England/northeastern Canada.

"I've never seen so many cabins available this close to summertime," says veteran cruise travel agent Linda Allen of Brownell Travel. "Last year we saw an oversupply of cabins in Europe. Two years ago it was Alaska. This year it's North America." I asked Allen for a list of sailings that make particular sense for families with kids, and here's what she sent. These cruises still have connecting cabins or other family accommodations available at this late date (a rarity):